College Confidential

Gray joins Texas' coaching staff, replacing Akina

Jerry Gray, a former Texas All-America defensive back who has spent 23 seasons in the NFL as a player and coach, joined the Longhorns’ football staff today as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

Gray replaces Duane Akina, who resigned to join coach Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona.

Gray, 48, spent last season as defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks. A two-time consensus All-American during his college career (1983, 1984), Gray has spent the last 14 seasons coaching in the NFL, including five seasons as a defensive coordinator. A member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor, Gray is one of three former Texas players on Brown’s 2011 staff, joining co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite and defensive ends coach Oscar Giles.

In a statement released by school officials, Brown said he was “excited to bring back one of our own” by hiring Gray, a coach who “brings a wealth of experience and knowledge” to his craft. Brown said returning players “will be excited to move forward” with Gray, a four-time Pro Bowl selection as an NFL player, because of his strong resume.

“Not very many guys get the chance to come back and coach where they played and to do that at a place that is as special as Texas,” Gray said. “To have a chance to be a part of that is a dream come true.”

_ Jimmy Burch

Fuente has not talked with #LSU; #Frogs recovering

TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente said he has not talked with LSU about the Tigers' offensive coordinator opening, despite rumors that the 32-year old assistant was a top candidate.
Fuente, who interviewed recently for the same position at Clemson, has helped lead the Horned Frogs offense to all-time benchmarks in yards and scoring since becoming a co-coordinator with Jarrett Anderson before the 2009 season. Before that, Fuente had been the Frogs' running backs coach since 2007.

Also:
Running back Ed Wesley was on crutches during the Frogs' celebration Sunday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. He's still nursing a mid-season injury that was aggravated during the Rose Bowl, in which Wesley only carried the ball four times. Wesley said he has about five more weeks of recovery, which means he should be healthy for spring practice.
Linebacker Tank Carder's right arm -- the one he used to swat down Wisconsin's two-point conversion pass attempt in the Rose Bowl -- was in a sling Sunday evening. Carder, who injured the shoulder last spring, had surgery last week. It's unknown whether Carder will be ready for contact by April.
-- Stefan Stevenson

  

Reports: Texas secondary coach Akina headed back to Arizona

Texas secondary coach Duane Akina has accepted a similar position at Arizona, according to a report in the Tucson Citizen and other internet sites. The newspaper cited a source inside the Wildcats’ football program. Texas officials had not confirmed Akina’s departure as of tonight.

Akina joined the Texas staff in 2001 and coached two Jim Thorpe Award winners during his tenure with the Longhorns _ safety Michael Huff and cornerback Aaron Ross. Before joining the Texas staff, Akina spent the 1987-2000 seasons at Arizona.

In addition, Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes _ who interviews for a similar vacancy at Texas last week _ said Sunday that he would remain with the Tigers’ program.

_ Jimmy Burch

Auburn OL coach Jeff Grimes spurns Texas, will stay with Tigers

Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who interviewed last week for the same post at Texas, has decided to remain with the Tigers, according to a report today by The Associated Press.

Grimes said the Texas opportunity was “very enticing” but he wants to build on the success he had in 2010 at Auburn, where the team finished 14-0 and won the BCS National Championship. Three Auburn offensive linemen were All-SEC selections.

With Grimes out of the picture, Texas’ search figures to turn to three candidates: Oklahoma State offensive line coach Joe Wickline, Boise State offensive line coach Chris Strausser or Arkansas offensive line coach Chris Klenakis.

_ Jimmy Burch

Top big man commits to Texas

 

Texas may have added a much-needed inside presence for the future with the oral commitment of Fort Bend junior post Cameron Ridley, according to a source close to the program.

Ridley is 6-foot-10, 240 pounds and is regarded as a true post man; not a big guy who thinks he’s a shooting guard. A member of the recruiting class of 2012, Barnes will follow an incoming 2011 class of three guards and a power forward.

TexasHoops ranks Ridley No.3 in the state. ESPN has him No.5 nationally amng its 2012 Super 60.—Mike Jones

Tulsa selects Blankenship as its new coach

Tulsa has selected Bill Blankenship, a member of the team's 2010 staff, as its next head football coach, school officials announced today. Blankenship was one of four assistants who stayed with the school after former coach Todd Graham accepted a similar position at Pittsburgh last week.

Blankenship's promotion ends the candidacy of Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who talked to Tulsa officials about the vacancy earlier this week and was considered one of four finalists to replace Graham. Blankenship was the Golden Hurricane's senior assocaite head coach/running backs coach/special teams coach in 2010.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Tulsa schedules news conference to announce coach

Tulsa officials have scheduled a news conference for later this afternoon to present their new football coach. We'll soon find out if they went back to Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter after the perceived leading candidate -- Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee -- withdrew his name earlier this morning.

_ Jimmy Burch 

Texas A&M's DeRuyter involved in Tulsa coaching search

Tulsa’s search for a new head football coach has included Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, according to published reports in the Tulsa World. But unnamed sources close to the search told the newspaper Thursday night that DeRuyter was likely to remain at A&M.

That could change today. Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, who grew up in Tulsa and was considered the frontrunner for the vacancy, withdrew his name from consideration this morning. Tulsa officials could come back to DeRuyter, who just competed a successful initial season as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator. A&M’s defensive turnaround under DeRuyter was instrumental in the team’s 9-4 finish that including a share of the Big 12 South Division title.

Tulsa assistant Bill Blankenship, one of four remaining assistants on the school’s staff (the others went to Pitt with former coach Todd Graham), also has interviewed for the position and is considered a leading candidate.

_ Jimmy Burch

Auburn OL coach Jeff Grimes reportedly interviewing with Texas

Multiple Internet sites are reporting today that Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes is in Austin, interviewing with Texas coach Mack Brown for the Longhorns’ vacancy at that position.

The offensive line job is the only vacancy Brown has yet to fill after losing five coaches from his staff following last year’s 5-7 season.

Grimes, 42, has spent the past two seasons at Auburn and is a Garland native who played college football at UT-El Paso. He has past experience working in the Big 12, serving as Colorado’s offensive line coach in 2007-08 and working on the Texas A&M staff as a graduate assistant in 1996-97.

Grimes also spent the 2000 season on the staff at Boise State, where incoming Texas co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin played (1995-99) and coached (2001-10) for most of his career before joining the Longhorns’ staff.

Brown said Monday that Texas “stopped the process of (looking for) an offensive line coach until we could Bryan and Major (Applewhite) together and start looking at who would fit best.” That process began Monday, when Harsin held his first news conference _ in conjunction with fellow co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite _ and the two began sounding out possibilities for the offensive line job.

Auburn capped a 14-0 season with Monday’s 22-19 victory over Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game, meaning Grimes figures to be in high demand by multiple schools. If Grimes does not become the final coach to round out Brown’s 2011 staff, other possibilities could be Oklahoma State offensive line coach Joe Wickline, Boise State’s Chris Strausser or Arkansas’ Chris Klenakis.

_ Jimmy Burch

TCU recruit selected for All-Star game

TCU football recruit Bobby Thompson has been selected to play for the USA Football under-19 national team Feb. 2 at Austin Westlake.
Thompson, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive lineman from Midland Christian, will play with other top athletes from around the nation against a collection of world all-stars from four continents.